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Discover how to watch “Buried in the Backyard” on Oxygen and stream it on Peacock. In September 2003, the police found the remains of 17-year-old Justine Vanderschoot in the hills above Applegate, California. The investigation into her disappearance led to the arrest of her boyfriend, Daniel Bezemer, and his roommate, Brandon Fernandez, who were both charged with her murder. They were sentenced to life in prison. Watch the full story on Oxygen’s “Buried in the Backyard.” Joe Dziemianowicz reported
In the evening of September 17, 2003, a distressing discovery was made by the police in the wooded hills above Applegate, California. The investigators stumbled upon an area that appeared to have been recently dug. Placer County DA investigator Angela Ford described the scene as they found human remains covered in a tar-like substance. The body was later identified as that of Justine Vanderschoot, a 17-year-old girl who had gone missing over two weeks prior. The search for Justine had begun on the morning of September 2, when her mother, Lynnette, realized that she was not at home and her truck was gone. Lynnette tried to contact Justine but was unsuccessful. Concerned, Justine’s boyfriend, Daniel Bezemer, called Lynnette in the afternoon to inquire about Justine’s whereabouts. This raised alarm bells for Lynnette, who then informed her husband, Don, their elder daughter, Christine, and Justine’s friends, but nobody had any information about her. The Vanderschoots contacted the Placer County Sheriff’s Department, who recognized that Justine’s disappearance was not a typical runaway case. They began to suspect that she may have been abducted. They first spoke with Christine, who had been on the phone with Justine the night before. Christine mentioned that they had just been discussing everyday matters. The investigators then interviewed Justine’s boyfriend, Daniel Bezemer, who stated that he had visited the Vanderschoot house the previous night and stopped at a 7-Eleven on his way home. He also claimed that he had searched for Justine at her school and the doctor’s office where she worked on September 2. The police verified his account and found nothing unusual in the context of a teenage relationship. The authorities also spoke with Bezemer’s roommate, Brandon Fernandez, who stated that he and Bezemer had not left their apartment on the night of Justine’s disappearance. Bulletins were shared with local law enforcement agencies and the news media, while flyers were distributed throughout the town. The Vanderschoots even drove around the area to check if Justine had been involved in a car accident. On September 3, Justine’s truck was discovered in a park-and-ride lot a few miles away from her home. There were no keys or notes, indicating that the truck had been locked and parked. Foul play was suspected. As the days passed without any new leads, the case began to grow cold. The Vanderschoots organized a community vigil at the park-and-ride site, which was used as an opportunity for the police to identify any possible suspects in attendance. A stranger who was seen pacing and smoking at the vigil attracted the investigators’ attention, but they later discovered that he had lost a daughter and had left a plaque in memory of her and in support of Justine. He was cleared as a suspect. Twelve days after Justine’s disappearance, the investigators re-interviewed her friends and discovered that her relationship with Bezemer was strained. Additionally, they learned that she had met someone else named Dave during a spring break trip to Florida. However, they ruled him out as a suspect after determining that they had stopped communicating in August. The focus then turned to Daniel Bezemer and Brandon Fernandez, as investigators wondered if Bezemer’s jealousy had driven him to harm Justine. They also found out about the tension between Justine and Fernandez due to his infidelity. This led them to scrutinize Fernandez more closely, especially since he had a history of minor criminal offenses. Further investigation into Bezemer and Fernandez’s alibi revealed inconsistencies, and it was discovered that two friends from Alabama, Clayton and Gary, were present at their apartments on the night of Justine’s disappearance. One of these friends eventually cooperated with the police after his father urged him to do so. He called Brandon and suggested going to the police about what he knew, but Brandon insisted on sticking to their plan. The investigators decided to re-interview Bezemer and Fernandez, enlisting the help of an FBI profiler. Fernandez initially maintained that he and his roommate had stayed in on September 1, but his demeanor changed when asked if he had ever witnessed someone’s death. The FBI agent played a recorded phone conversation in which Fernandez urged his friend not to talk to the police. Faced with the evidence, Fernandez confessed. He claimed that Bezemer’s obsession with Justine’s alleged infidelity had created a pressure-cooker situation. Using his technological skills, Fernandez had tapped Justine’s phone to record her conversations, as she was still in contact with the Naval sailor she had met in Florida. In Bezemer’s mind, Justine needed to be punished because he believed she belonged to him. Fernandez revealed that they had devised a plan to lure Justine to the park-and-ride site, where they played a mix-tape they had created, splicing in her recorded phone conversations between songs. When they reached a wooded area, Fernandez walked away from the car and heard a scream upon his return. Justine was lying on the ground next to a taser. According to Fernandez, Bezemer said, “I don’t have to deal with her anymore. My life is now free. I win.” They proceeded to bury her, pouring a solution on her to accelerate decomposition, and covered the grave with dirt and a discarded mattress in an area used for dumping trash. Realizing that he had incriminated himself, Fernandez attempted to negotiate with the police and led them to the burial site. Justine’s necklace and the CD meant to punish her were recovered at the location. In custody, Bezemer blamed Fernandez for tasering and strangling Justine. Both men were charged with murder, and the evidence pointed to their involvement. Prosecutors built a case suggesting premeditated murder, highlighting the fact that Bezemer had brought various tools and the ready-made CD with him. The autopsy revealed signs of strangulation and the presence of dirt in Justine’s throat and stomach, indicating that she had been buried alive. As the trial approached in March 2005, Fernandez and Bezemer were offered a plea deal, which the Vanderschoots accepted in order to move forward with the healing process. Fernandez received a sentence of 15 years to life in prison, while Bezemer was sentenced to 25 years to life. Since 2005, both men have been denied parole, as Justine’s family continues to advocate for them to remain behind bars. For more information about this case, tune in to Buried in the Backyard on Oxygen, airing Saturdays at 8/7c..
